“Michael Jordan was a ‘Silent Assassin’ and didn’t talk trash to me”: Nuggets legend, Alex English, opened up about how Bulls legend wouldn’t stir the pot with him

Alex English claims Michael Jordan never really talked trash to him during his playing days and that he was more of a ‘Silent Assassin’. 

Michael Jordan earned himself a rather aggressive reputation during his playing days with the Chicago Bulls. His trash-talking had become a part of his game by the time he had established himself in the NBA and it was quite clear that he was going to keep his word against any legend he played against. 

Everything from climbing ‘Mount Mutombo’ to shrugging off hitting 6 threes in Game 1 of the ‘92 NBA Finals, MJ knew exactly how to stir the pot. He never discriminated against who he was going to talk trash to or simply torch that night.

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Jordan beat up on guys like LaBradford Smith and Anthony Peeler but kept it fair and also decimated the stars of the league like Patrick Ewing and Isiah Thomas. 

However, despite playing in the NBA for as long as he did, Michael Jordan couldn’t get to everybody and talk trash to them all. Alex English was one of these players. 

Alex English on Michael Jordan not talking trash to him. 

Alex English won the scoring title merely once during his time in the NBA but led the entirety of the 1980s in scoring. He was a small forward for a majority of his career and operated (skill-set wise) from the areas that Michael Jordan was familiar with i.e., the mid-range.

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When asked during an interview whether or not Michael Jordan kept the same energy against him in terms of trash-talk, English actually said no. “No, he wasn’t [talking trash to me]. He was just silent.”

Alex English most certainly wasn’t on his way out of the league when Jordan came into it. He won a scoring title in 1983 and Jordan was drafted merely a year later. Alex and his storied Denver Nuggets would make the Western Conference Finals in MJ’s rookie season with the former going off for 30.2 points per game in the Playoffs. 

Alex English would also be an All-Star all the way up till 1989, where he averaged 26+ points as if it were nothing to him, at the age of 35. So no, he was not on his way out when Michael entered the league.